Soil testing through mobile soil testing facilities

Just as humans need food to survive, so do all plants. We know that 17 nutrients are essential for any plants life cycle (seed to seed). Although there are many other ingredients beyond the 17 nutrients, they are not particularly important. Of the 17 food sources, only 3 foods are derived from natures plants. Plants obtain carbon and oxygen from the atmosphere in the presence of light and make their own food with hydrogen through water. Another 14 nutrients are required for plant growth and life cycle development i.e., completion through flowering and fruiting which are taken up from the soil with the help of roots. Among these, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulphur, magnesium are called macro or primary essential nutrients. Apart from this, iron, boron, chlorine, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, nickel etc. are also taken by plants from the soil along with mineral salts.

As a result of continuous cultivation of crops, the nutrients required by plants from the soil are slowly reduced to the very last stage. 75 percent of Bangladeshs total agricultural land has lost its fertility. Since the introduction of modern agricultural systems, the soil has been deficient in basic elements. Nitrogen deficiency occurred in the soil of Bangladesh in 1951. Then, from 1957, phosphorus was added to the deficiency list along with nitrogen. Potassium was added to this list around 1960. Since 1980 there has been a shortage of sulphur. Since 1982, zinc has been added to the deficiency list. Since 1995 there has been a shortage of boron. Agricultural production in Bangladesh is now deficient in eight essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, zinc, boron, magnesium and molybdenum. Scientists fear that if agricultural production based on artificial fertilizers is conducted as it is now, in the near future at least 17 basic nutrients and fertilizers will have to be used to produce crops in this country. That is why artificial food or fertilizer needs to be applied to the land to provide food to the crops. A farmer has been farming for many years, growing one crop after another year after year, so the land does not rest. Different types of chemical fertilizers are used during each cultivation. Bio-fertilizers are also sometimes given, though in lesser doses than required. Most of the farmers use less organic fertilizers, thus changing the character of the soil. Using more chemical fertilizers and pesticides than required for more profit. Not using balanced and moderate amount of fertilizer. As a result, the fertility of the land is decreasing as a result of going on like this day after day, resulting in less yield.

Many people are not aware of the health of the soil on which cultivation is being done. For this it is necessary to regularly test the soil of agricultural land. By testing the soil, it will be known what nutrients are available and how much. How much additional fertilizer or feed material should be given? It is also seen that nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium are being given to the land according to year after year - but after the soil test it was found that the level of phosphate is very high, the level of potassium is also very high - and the level of other nutrients is quite low. The farmer has used the required amount of fertilizer according to the crop, after soil test it is found that some fertilizers have been misused. So every plot of land should be tested at least once a year. If not possible, soil should be tested at least every 3-4 years. This will not only reduce the misuse of fertilizers, but also the accumulation of those nutrients in the soil with repeated use of fertilizers that make other foods unacceptable. Toxicity builds up in the soil. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers also reduces the number of beneficial microbes living in the soil, resulting in reduced crop yields and dead soil, such as desert soil. After testing the soil and knowing the health of the soil, using balanced fertilizers will not only save money, but the health of the soil will be good, the environment will be good. When it becomes known that the presence of organic matter in the soil has dropped, it will be difficult to restore the health of the soil, even if the farmer jumps to save the soil and the crop. Besides, it is possible to reduce the cost of crop production by 15-25 percent through soil health testing. For these reasons there is no alternative but to test the soil.
Mainly soil pH (acid/alkaline content), EC or salt content, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, boron etc. are tested. Soil testing is done in two types of laboratories in Bangladesh. Fertilizer recommendation card is given after soil testing through permanent laboratory and mobile soil laboratory. Soil Resources Development Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture has 7 departmental laboratories, 16 regional laboratories. These departmental laboratories are located in Dhaka, Comilla, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Barisal. Regional laboratories are located in Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Tangail, Faridpur, Kishoreganj, Gopalganj, Pabna, Bogra, Dinajpur, Jhenaidah, Kushtia, Jessore, Comilla, Noakhali, Rangamati and Patuakhali districts. Through these permanent laboratories, almost all elements of the soil can be tested at any time of the year for 63 taka.

Apart from this, mobile soil testing laboratories have been launched since 1996 with the aim of delivering farmer services at the doorsteps of the people and encouraging farmers to apply fertilizers in balanced amounts on the land by testing the soil. At present, 10 mobile soil testing laboratories namely Yamuna, Titas, Teesta, Rupsa, Madhumati, Karnaphuli, Bahamaputra, Surma, Karatoa, and Kirtankhola are operational across the country. Fertilizer recommendation cards are issued through field testing of the soil in these two seasons of Rabi and Kharif through these mobile laboratories. At this time, these mobile laboratories stay in different upazilas of certain regions for a certain period of time (usually 3-5 days) and after testing the soil, fertilizer recommendation cards for balanced levels of crops are issued. Interested farmers of these upazilas can get a balanced fertilizer recommendation card through soil testing by paying a prescribed fee of only Tk 25 per sample (although the actual cost of soil sample analysis is only Tk 440). For soil testing, soil samples must be collected and submitted to the Upazila Agriculture Office. The collected soil samples are tested by the scientists of the Soil Resources Development Institute and fertilizer recommendation cards are prepared and distributed.

Finally, for the agricultural and economic development of the country, it is imperative to ensure food security by increasing and conserving soil fertility by producing more crops. There is no alternative to increasing food production to ensure food security. To double food production by 2030, mobile soil testing laboratories should conduct rapid field testing of soil and apply balanced amounts of fertilizers. Thus, it is our duty to keep our earth habitable through proper management of soil resources.

The writer is a Principal Scientific Officer, Soil Resource Development Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Laboratory, Faridpur